Matthews backs WI to get batting right against Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan (CMC):

WEST INDIES Women’s batting, along with their One-Day International form, will come under the spotlight when they clash with Pakistan Women in a three-match series bowling off today.

The Caribbean side have not beaten any top-tier opposition in the shorter format since sweeping a similar three-match series against their hosts in Pakistan three years ago, their only series win in that period coming over minnows Ireland at home last year.

In the interim, they suffered series defeats to Australia, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, managing to win only two of the 14 games involved.

And with the Pakistan series part of the ICC Championship, captain Hayley Matthews said it was important that her side cashed in.

“I think we had pretty good results that time [against Pakistan three years ago] and looking for nothing different here,” Matthews told a media conference yesterday.

West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews speaks during a media conference on Wednesday.

“Obviously, some points are up for grabs in the ODI series, which is super crucial for us. I think this series is really important for where we’re going to stand in the championship come the end of the games.

“We know Pakistan is definitely going to be a huge challenge as they always are when we come over here to play in their conditions, and I think if you look at Pakistan over the last year, you’ve definitely been able to see a lot of improvements.

“But at the same time, our girls have been working really hard, and we’re super up for the challenge to be able to go out there and, hopefully, win all three games and take it home.”

West Indies Women’s batting has been a major deficiency in the ODI format. In their series Down Under last year, they were dismissed for 83 and 103 in the two completed matches and were 107 for eight when the other game was rained off.

In their three-match series against England a year earlier in the Caribbean, the home side never got beyond 165 in another underwhelming effort with the bat.

Matthews, her side’s batting leader, said while performances had not been up to scratch recently, work was being done to address the shortcoming.

“I think it’s been evident in the past year or two that we probably haven’t scored as many runs as we would’ve wanted to,” she explained.

“But at the same time, it’s something that we’ve been working on a whole lot throughout our regional competition and throughout training camps as well.

“I think when you look at the teams we’ve faced in the championship as well, we’ve had a lot of the higher-ranked teams to play against.

“So I’m hoping we can go out there and really put up some good performances and be able to gain some points off of the teams that are more closely ranked to us.”

The opening ODI got under way at 11:30 p.m. Jamaica time last night at National Bank Stadium. The series will be followed by five Twenty20 Internationals in a tour that runs until May 3.